A fire-drill exercise held on 24 July at the SuperSpar in the Retail Crossing Shopping Centre on the corner of Nic Diederichs and Hendrik Potgieter Roads left local residents stunned after they assumed it was an armed robbery.
Residents took to their social media awareness groups to alert others after hearing loud sirens during the store’s emergency evacuation practice.
The centre confirmed to the Northsider that it was just a fire-drill exercise.
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Fire-drill exercises or evacuation procedures are designed to ensure the safety of staff, residents and customers in a building or property. The practice assists individuals to gain a knowledge of the safe escape routes during a fire, without injuring themselves or others.
Recent business robberies and hijackings at petrol stations have left residents feeling unsafe and calling for the authorities to beef up patrols in the area.
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